1
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure
the flimsy bridge buckled under the weight of the caravan of trucks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
buckled himself down and finished the assignment in record time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buckle
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
The helmets were sold in pink with a unicorn, rainbow and star print, as well as black padding, black straps and a black and red buckle with a black chin pad.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
At every level—executive, judicial, legislative, corporate, institutional, media—every single guardrail that is supposed to protect our democracy is buckling.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buckle
Verb
The model wore white socks with her Manolo Blahnik heels with a buckle detail.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
The helmets were sold in pink with a unicorn, rainbow and star print, as well as black padding, black straps and a black and red buckle with a black chin pad.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Following a play, Bosa looked as if his leg was buckled in a weird way after being double-covered by two Arizona Cardinals' linemen.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
At every level—executive, judicial, legislative, corporate, institutional, media—every single guardrail that is supposed to protect our democracy is buckling.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buckle
Verb
-
Only the structures that were already gravitationally bound together at that moment, not including the structures that were still collapsing and contracting on their way to becoming gravitationally bound, will actually be able to hold together.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Confidence notably collapsed during the divisive 2016 presidential campaign, the polling service says, with the highest reading in the past decade being 45% in 2018.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Newspapers, both local and national, devoted not just reviews but columns and opinion pieces to Stein and Tender Buttons.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
-
By the mid-nineteen-sixties, Africa had been transformed from a patchwork of colonies to one of mostly independent countries, each devoted, at least in theory, to self-determination.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This brand-new toy lets kids play with 32 jumbo-sized felt pieces that stick onto the board with hook-and-loop material.—
Clint Davis,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The tennis ball demonstration encapsulates this philosophy, while showing not a pre-programmed set of movements, but a closed-loop perception-action system that interprets its surroundings and acts accordingly.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Milwaukee rewarded him with a two-year, $11 million contract in July, and, with Damian Lillard gone, Porter is now the point guard, which was confirmed by Doc Rivers a few weeks ago.—
Stan Son,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
They Chiefs needed just five plays to go 97 yards for the TD.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
There are, nonetheless, lessons that could apply to businesses and policymakers anywhere.—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Water plants thoroughly and apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch, leaving a small ring around the trunk free of mulch.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike most card holders, this one folds open like a mini wallet, and it can be detached from your phone for separate use.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Though the two met, the source emphasized that the former aide has no way back into the royal fold after the scandal several years ago.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How does a century-old industrial company such as Firmenich (renamed DSM-Firmenich following its 2023 merger with Dutch chemical firm DSM) manage to remain globally competitive today, given that a large share of its cost base is in the most expensive country in the world?—
Peter Vanham,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers to give 60 days’ notice ahead of mass layoffs.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But when a tragedy befalls the hotel, Nina is propelled in a relentless spiral of lies and manipulations.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
That means health crises for the newly uninsured could lead them, too, into a spiral of medical debt.—
Rae Ellen Bichell,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buckle. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share